Blogging with Father John

A Life Void of the Spirit

The Rev. John West

July 30, 2017

Life is so empty without God. Life is so hollow and seemly meaningless when we are totally void of spirituality. Life has no purpose without that spiritual connection to a Power greater than ourselves. We easily and quickly lose sight of who we are as a person, as well as our self-worth, self-esteem and self-confidence. When we place all of our being, completely relying on another person, a place or even our job to serve as our identity, life can quickly spiral into an abyss of hopelessness and despair. This is especially true when we no longer have any or all of those external factors to rely upon, or use to define us as a person. Life has a cruel streak. People we love unexpectedly leave us, geographical cures or wealth rarely, if ever are an answer and jobs can dissipate in the blink of an eye.  It is in those type situations that we discover we no longer have the capacity, inner strength or resolve to meet the daily challenges of life, especially when real hardship and unexpected, painful situations arise.

Remorse and regret often become our worse enemy. Without a well maintained spiritual life we are quickly swept out into a sea of desperation and self-destructive despair, as if we are caught or trapped in a dangerous and relentless undertow. We then question, “Where is God in all of this?” or “Why me God?” But since our relationship with God has suffered, we are spiritually depleted of all since of his presence. In our calling out to God, all we hear in return is spiritual silence, and the overwhelming sound of our own internal pain. Caught up in ourselves and focusing on our relentless agony without a firm and strong spiritual foundation is a living hell, and intense nightmare of hopeless desperation and utter darkness.

I’ve walked this dark road and know the sheer feelings of abandonment and loneliness. It is a terrible and cruel path. But it is important to remember, as I discovered, God never left me, I allowed myself to lapse into a spiritual malady, and ultimately it was me who quit communicating and consistently, yet subtly forgot to do the things necessary to build a life based on a deeper relationship with God. My life had become nothing more than a house of cards, ready to collapse at the first sign of adversity. Sheer and utter grief, remorse and regret suddenly overwhelmed me, and I had no skill set or firm spiritual faith to cope with life’s immense tragedies. I then knew loneliness and a darkness like no other.

The question the arises, “Is there still hope?” Absolutely! In the world of recovery there is a saying, “Let go and let God.” This sounds way easier said than done, but it is the first step in either regaining that spiritual life, or perhaps starting one for the first time. A strong spiritual relationship with God is certainly not renewed over night. After all, we have lived a life based on self-will and self-reliance for a long time. Yet God never gives up on us. God never abandons us. God is there waiting for us to reach out to him, just as he is reaching out to us. It is only then that true spiritual healing and reliance can begin to occur and take shape in our lives.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us that, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness.” He goes on to explain that nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God. Those are encouraging words and good news for those of us who feel lost and tossed about on a sea of hopeless despair. The Apostle once again gives us hope by telling us, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him (Christ Jesus) who loved us.”  In other words, when we become willing to turn our life and will over to the care of God and accept ourselves and situations for what they are, it is then that we begin to restore that relationship, and our feet become more settled on solid spiritual ground.

Life is lovely and a gift, yet it is also filled with treacherous potholes and pits that are easy to fall into at times. Yet it is through our trust, faith and gratitude for what God has, and will continue to do for us in this life that allows us to conquer our selfishness and blind self-centered behavior. 

When our identity is based on our relationship with God and not human or tangible things in this world, although we will still know suffering, pain and loss, we will intuitively know that there is a way forward. That is God’s gift and love for us. All we have to do is to remain in conscience contact with God, trusting that no matter what he will never desert us, and will always dispel the darkness.